[Funcurve Review] "Uncontrollably Fond"2017/02/25,
Rekindled Love
With a star studded cast boasting the small-screen return of both Kim Woo-bin and Suzy, I was excited to start watching "Uncontrollably Fond". Luckily, I was not disappointed. The drama kept me emotionally invested throughout its run and broke my heart along the way. It follows celebrity Sin Joon-yeong's (Kim Woo-bin) life closely as he learns that he only has a few months to live. Meanwhile his old love, Noh-eul (Suzy), happens to work as a producer on his documentary. Needless to say, their working relationship leads to rekindled romance as well as heart-wrenching scenes of coping with the brutal reality together,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 20 (final)2016/09/15,
It is an episode of goodbyes as one life comes to an end and others continue on after having loved and learned. The end of this story is the start of others, but the end doesn't mean that its true meaning does not persist. That is what Joon-young means to those he loves and to those who love him. His life was short, but his memory lasts in the hearts of those who cherished him. In that way, the ending of "Uncontrollably Fond" was beautiful. In others, it was rather puzzling,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 192016/09/13,
Episode 19 is when we begin to say goodbye to Joon-young. His loved ones are coming to terms with his very near mortality and the results of his campaign to clear Eul's name. The results are an acute attack of moral conscience for many of the characters and a tearful denouement. Joon-young has completed his revenge on Eul's part and starts to sit back to live out his remaining days,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 182016/09/06, "Uncontrollably Fond" has pulled out all the stops. Rich people who care nothing for others. Trucks that come out of nowhere to obliterate people. Sad breakups. Tearful confessions. Late stage cancer. You name it; it's on this table. It's an excitedly lead into this last week, but I wish there had be more of the little things. More character development. More subtle play on emotion. Less dramatic camera panning. Fewer wildly used melodramatic elements,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 172016/09/01,
Joon-yeong's memory starts falter due to his cancer and he seems to realize his mortality and becomes even bolder in his plans to set everything in Eul's life right. In fact, he becomes downright reckless, revealing dangerous truths, challenging those with terrifying amounts of power. The path he has chosen causes pain to others and himself, and I can't say watching him self-destruct is pleasant in any way, shape, or form,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 162016/08/28, "Uncontrollably Fond" is heading into its last two weeks and with that comes revelations for our main characters. Joon-young's cancer is discovered by Eul, but their relationship woes do not dissipate with that knowledge. There are others still in the dark, and even more people battling for power with blades of knowledge and money. The most fully developed character is Eul,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 152016/08/24,
The major focus of the drama has been on the push and pull between Joon-young and Eul and that focus detracts greatly from the other supposedly large conflicts floating about. Those conflicts could potentially give rise to interesting explorations of the darker side of humanity so often highlighted in melodrama. Unfortunately, "Uncontrollably Fond" falls short of fulfilling those conflicts.,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 142016/08/19,
This episode really touches on the plays of power. Money buys power. Health allows one to wield power. Friendship helps to guide power. Connections manipulate power. These concepts are neither new to the show or to the workings of society, but they are highlighted in ways that force the characters to act. Most of the same ol' shenanigans continue throughout this episode and leave me with little to talk about. Joon-young waffles between living by his standards of guilt, or by the pull of his love for Eul,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 132016/08/18, "Uncontrollably Fond" has one goal: keep the tension high. Two major secrets are fueling that tension, the truth about Joon-young's health and the truth surrounding his birth. All other tensions stem from that and other similar secrets. Scenes and action wades through problems caused by these secrets while Eul remains a plucky heroine despite Joon-young's treatment of her.
Eul is convinced that Joon-young still loves her, and she would be right,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 122016/08/13,
Some secrets find their way to the surface, but rather than bringing relief, they create more tension and send other secrets further into hiding. All four of our romantic leads are experiencing loads of pain in the form of betrayal, heartache, and the physical as they become aware of each other and are forced into very awkward confontations. The intrigue of "Uncontrollably Fond" lies in intricate web of lies and relationships,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 112016/08/11,
This episode focused on the mother's: Joon-young's mother and Ji-tae's mother. While the majority of the hour was spent on dredging up the past and repeating mistakes that should've been learned from, we clearly see the motivations behind some characters that remained opaque until now.
Highlighting the weaknesses that have plagued Joon-young's mother's character, this episode finally delved into the reasoning behind her poor treatment of her son,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 102016/08/06, "Uncontrollably Fond" is an interesting mix of very beautiful staging and cinematography and a glacial plot pace. The story moves along so slowly that it's difficult to make it through an episode because there is no impetus for curiosity of the events in the show. Part of the lack of forward motion is caused by undeveloped characters, which by episode 10 in a drama, should not happen,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 92016/08/04,
Plot threads start to twist and knot as underlying relationships between characters are exposed to the audience. Those aware of the dark, painful secrets become typical melodramatic characters who make bad decisions and pine and brood at their misfortune. There is some happiness present as well, which in a Lee Kyeong-hee drama is normally fleeting,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 62016/07/21,
Episode 6 was No Eul's episode. It was her turn to discover and reflect instead of recklessly living. Her character up until this point has charged forward, doing anything and everything to earn the money to keep her and her brother afloat. Although she professes love for Ji-tae, it is Joon-yeong who gives her pause and challenges her current lifestyle. As Joon-yeong and No Eul adventure to the ocean to escape the paparazzi, the not-quite-a-couple couple start to learn about each other in the most interesting episode thus far,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 52016/07/20,
The somber note that sounded throughout last week's episodes of "Uncontrollably Fond" was little seen in episode 5. Only with Ji-tae, secret chaebol and Daddy Longlegs extraordinaire, did the angst verge momentarily above the surface. What rose to the surface we the re-kindled interest between Joon-yeong and No Eul and the heavy baggage of dating in the limelight. What struck me most about the episode was how normal Joon-yeong appeared and how hard he worked to maintain that guise,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 42016/07/15,
The intersections of relationships and individual goals begin to clear up in episode 4 of "Uncontrollably Fond". And, rather than settling down, the personalities of the main leads remain as capricious as ever and are defined situationally. This episode was Kim Woo-bin's, however. Each scene he was in was laced with such intensity. Suzy has also been realistic as No Eul. I mentioned in the last review that Joon-yeong's illness had not been mentioned in a while and this episode addresses that in spades,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 32016/07/13, "Uncontrollably Fond"'s penchant for bookending episodes with dilemma's in the character's present is already a repetitive plot tool. It is attempting to draw parallels between past and present, and work the story in a non linear fashion, but these efforts come off as heavy-handed. The glimpse into the past is welcome, but Joon-yeong's motivations are hard to follow and make the past a messy place to be. The first two episodes indicated that Joon-yeong wanted some sort of revenge on No Eul,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Uncontrollably Fond" Episode 22016/07/07,
The dark past is unveiled, at least partially, in episode number 2 of "Uncontrollably Fond" that sat prettily atop the drama ranks at 12.5%, matching the first episode's rating. No Eul and Joon-yeong in their high school years are those who have not: they lack power, money, and influence, three assets that their opponents have in abundance. A complex web of family relations, payoffs, deals, loans sharks, and emotional agony was woven during No Eul's and Joon-yeong's high school years,...More

[Orion's Drama News] The Weight of Representation2016/07/02,
It is time for some much hyped dramas to make an entrance and two of them are premiering this week. Before getting to that, however I will take a first look at "Incarnation of Jealousy" and its fresh material. I will also give my two cents on an upcoming series and its potential casting which I find highly problematic. Closing this piece are the usual upcoming drama goodies and followed shows,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Empress Qi" Episode 452014/04/16, "Empress Qi" is pulling out all the stops as it nears the end of its run. It flails it's arms as it grabs for some logical purchase, but finds none. Characters grapple with stability, who they want to be and what they've become. The biggest issue lies with Ta-hwan,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Empress Qi" Episode 442014/04/09,
Episode 44 of "Empress Qi" was very inconsistent. It focused on Ta-hwan and his fears of inadequacy. Those fears make him easily manipulated by everyone. While this is a solid focus, the execution was messy. Empress Hudu only appears once in the entire episode despite the fact that she's supposed to be a power hungry woman who will do anything to attain it,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Empress Qi" Episode 402014/03/31, "Empress Qi" is adept at throwing in plot twists and maneuvering characters and their desires into places that will have the most dramatic impact. What it lacks is the ability to fully develop characters and make their sincerity clear. Seung-nyang is in a difficult place. Her loyalties are divided between her child, her caring for Ta-hwan, and her Goryeo heritage,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Empress Qi" Episode 382014/03/23,
On the heels of change is opportunity and when there is opportunity there is greed. In the wake of El Temur's death, only his memory, wealth and power are left for the living to fight over. This is when differences in goals come to light and allies divide to become foes. Seung-nyang has been clever, powerful, and at the head of the pack because she was the leader of a revolution everyone supported,...More

[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Empress Qi" Episode 372014/03/15,
The end of a major enemy in "Empress Qi" has arrived. The journey and the battle to achieve this end were both epic and full of excitement. It made this episode a fun watch, but in retrospect, there was a lot of waiting around for pieces to line up. What I mean by that is that too many plot threads took such a long time to unravel and climax that it made this final battle with El Temur and his allies stale in hindsight,...More

Ko Hyun-jung wins grand prize at MBC Acting Awards2009/12/31, Source,
Korean actress Ko Hyun-jung [MBC]
Top Korean actress Ko Hyun-jung won the grand prize at the MBC Acting Awards, held at MBC's Open Hall on Wednesday.
Ko, who won rave reviews for her portrayal of royal concubine Mi-shil in historical drama "Queen Seon-deok", won the year's top crown while many of her co-stars also collected their share of awards.
"I believe there was a moment when Mi-shil really came to life [during the show]", said Ko in her acceptance speech. "I was very nervous because I had never done a traditional drama before, but thank you for giving me the opportunity to wear a dress like this". The actress got teary and emotional when she added, " I hope my kids are watching this... "
"Queen Seon-deok" -- which was also voted Drama of the Year -- was handed a total of 12 awards, winning the count over another hit drama "My Wife is a Superwoman", which won 7 in total. Writers of both dramas were awarded Writer of the Year at the event.,...More

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